Feeler mechanism for looms



April 28, 1925.

A. E. RHOADES FEELER MECHANISMFOR LOOMS Filed Feb. 14, 1924 2 Sheets-$heet 1 April 28, 1925. 1,535,947

A. E. RHOADES FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Feb. 14, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HHHHHHHH H3 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 28, 1923.

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO n z'anoAnns. or I-IOIPEDALE. MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR To DRAIPER con- PoR TIoN, OFVHOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MAINE.

FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

Application filed February 14, 1924. Serial No. 692,856.

To aZZ whom z't mag concern:

Be 1t known that I, ALoNzo E. Rrronnns,

a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at' ings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to feeler mechanisms for looms and more particularly to the intermittent type of feeler mechanisms wherein the feeler is held in an inoperative position for periods of time and is released periodically to the performance of its feeling function during weaving with the same supply of filling in the shuttle.

In feeler mechanisms of the intermittent type, and especially when weaving with certain kinds or characters of filling, it is desirable that the feeler be moved into a position such that it will not contact with the filling on detecting beats, and one of the ob'ects of the present invention is to provide a feeler mechanism of the type indi cated, wherein means ofsimple and effective construction are provided for moving and holding the'feeler in a frontward inoperative position during its periods of inactivity andreleasing it at intervals to its periods of activity.

- The novel features of the invention and new combination of parts will best be made clear from the following description and the accompanying drawings of one good practical form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a loom at the feeler side, showing a feeler mechanism containing the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the feeler released to the perform ance of its feeling function; h

'Fig. 3' is a side elevation showing the feeler mechanism with the feeler withdrawing and holding detent in intermediate po sition for engagement with the feeler when it is moved frontwardly by a working supply of filling in the shuttle on a detecting beat;

Fig. 4c is a view similar to that of Fig. 3,

but showing the feeler as having been withdrawn frontwardly by the detent and held in its inoperative position; and

Fig. 5 is a view of the detent controller and its actuating means.

The feeler mechanism of the present invention is herein shown as associated with means for effecting replenishment of filling when that in the shuttle is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat, but the replenishing, mechanism is not illustrated because it may be of any usual type and is now well understood, and the details thereof form no essential part of the invention. As shown, the feeler is of the inclined type, that is, it enters the shuttle in a direction inclined to the longitudinal axis thereof and isdisplaced in a direction longitudinally of the shuttleto call the change by the frontward pressure upon it when the filling is substantially exhausted. While this type of feeler is well adapted for cooperation with the present invention, other forms or types of feelers may be employed with advantage.

The loom frame 1 has brackets 2, 1,

in which is supported the transverse or rock shaft 3 which extends across the loom and is operatively associated with the means for effecting replenishment of the filling, as usual. Secured to and rising from the transverse or rock shaft 3 is an arm 4: to which is pivoted at 5 the rearwardly extending member 6 having pivotally connected thereto at 7 the finger 8, the rear end portion of which is adapted at times to be engaged by the operating member 9 which may be associated with or formed as part of the cam' follower. Above the finger S is an arm 10 which overlies the horizontal arm 11 of a bell crank lever pivotedat 12 to a bracket 13'supported by the 100111 frame. The other arm of the bell crank leveris connected to a transmitter 14, the construction bein such that should the transmitter be moved by the feeler when it calls for a change of filling, the member 8 will be placed in the path of the operating member 9 and filling replenishment be effected. The transmitter and associated details described may be of any usual type and construction for effecting replenishment of filling when the feeler calls for replenishment.

Extending from .the shipper stand 15 an arm 16 to which is adjustably secured the feeler supporting bracket 17 by means of a bolt or similar device 18. The feeler stand 19 is adjustably secured to the bracket 17 by a bolt or other means 20.

In the present instance of the invention, the feeler is of the inclined type and mounted on the feeler stand for movement longitudinally of the shuttle by the frontward pressure of a surface within the shintle when the filling is substantially e:-;- hausted on a detecting beat, and while this form of feeler niay be advantageously employed, the invention is not restricted to its use, as other forms of feelers may be associated therewith.

The feeler stand 19 has a rear bearing portion 21 containing a guideway for a slide 22 which is connected to the trans:- mitter 14, and is provided with a slot tl-iroug-h which the feeler 23 extends and in which it may have normal laterally displacing movement. The slide 22 may be conveniently held in its guideways by a cap-plate 24k secured to the rear bearing by screws 25.

The frontwa-rd ly extending stem portion '26 of the feeler passes through a front hearing 27 shown as formed of a swivel block, and between the front bearing 27 and a projection or bridge 28 secured to the feeler is a spring 29 normally acting upon the lieeler to move it 'rearwardly into its fecling position.

The parts so far described are or may be substantially the same as the similar parts 'in the patent to Edward S. Stimpson, No. 1,309,226 dated July 8, 1 919, to which reterence may be had for more full disclosure of the detailed mechansim, and the rear -6I1fl portion of the feeler may if desired be provided with teeth 30 for engagement with the filling 31 on the filling carrier or bobbin as usual.

The lay 33 is provided with the shuttle box 34: having a slot in its front wall,

and the shuttle 36, which may be of usual type, is likewise provided with a slot 37 and adapted to register with the slot when the shuttle is properly positioned in the shuttle box, so that the feeler may enter the shuttle and feel for the filling.

In accordance with the present invention, the feeler .is to be held in a frontward inoperative position for periods of inactivity and to be released at intervals to the per-- formance of its feeling function, and then returned to its frontward or inoperative position should the feeler find a working supply of filling in the shuttle on a detecting beat. In the present invention this result is secured by means of a detent or pivoted pawl under the influence of a controller and adapted to engage a projection on the feeler to withdraw the feeler frontward under the dictates of the controller and hold it in withdrawn frontward position during its periods of inactivity.

its one good means for carrying out this feature of the invention, the detent is mounted upon the feeler stand with capacity for pivotal and bodily movements to perform its witlnlrznving and holding functions. As shown, the feeler stand is provided with the bearings 38 which may be constituted as supports for the detent and conveniently associated with the cap plate through the risers 39. Each of the bearings, 38, of which there may be two, as indicated, is provided with an inclined slot l0 into which projects a pin l-l extending from the detent 42, the construction being such that the detent l2 may have pivotal movement relative to the bearings 38 and also a bodily movement towards and from the front of the loom, the inclined slot 40 acting at such time to define the vertical position of the detent. The rear end portion of the detent 42 has a tooth l3, which is adapted to engage a projection or tooth 44 extending from the feeler to thereby withdraw the feeler into a frontward inoperative position and hold it during its periods of inactivity. W'hile the bearing 38 is shown as provided with the slots 4E0 into which the pin 41 of the detent extends, a reversal of this arrangement might of course be employed without departing from the present invention.

Extending frontwardly from the feeler stand is a bracket or arm L5 to which is pivoted at 46 a bell crank lever, one arm 1'."

of which is connected to the detent 4-2 at 8,

and the other arm 49 of which is connected at 50 with a rod 51 which constitutes a part of the detent controller. The rod- 51, as indicated in Fig. 5, extends downwardly from the feeler stand and is connected at 52 to a pivoted member or lever 53 pivotally supported at 5%. on the bracket 55 appropriately secured to the loom frame.

The lever is normally under the influence of a spring 56 and is limited in its movement under spring control by a stop 57, Figs. 1 and 5, and when the lever is resting upon the stop 57, the detent 4C2 will be in its frontward holding position for maintaining the feeler in an inoperative position out of contact with the filling on. detecting beats.

to this end means are provided for periodically actuating the lever 53. Such means may be conveniently associated with the take-up mechanism, although this is not necessary and it might be otherwise constituted as a member of-a moving train of mechanism associated with other parts of the loom. As shown, the lever 53 has an extension 58, the end 59. of which is in the path of an actuator 60, shown as connected to one of the spokes 62 of the ratchet wheel. The actuator 60 may be detachably connected to the ratchet Wheel as bya nut 63, Fig. 5, which may be passed through an opening 64 in one of the spokes of the ratchet wheel, and one or more of such actuators may be employed if desired.

The actuator 60has a trip portion 65 and a dwell portion 66 for cooperating with the end 59 of the lever 53 and for the purpose of first tripping the detent from holding engagement with the feeler, then permitting the detent to move to an intermediate position during the passage of the dwell portion 66 of the actuator under the end 59 of the lever 53, and then freeing the lever 53 tothe impulse of the spring 56 to thereby withdraw the feeler fromengagement with the detent into its frontward position. Inasmuch as the means for withdrawing the feeler from its cooperative relation with the filling is controlled from a train of mechanism which may have no timed relation with the lay movements, or wherein such'timed relation is not easily accomplishedto accurately insure that the feeler shall perform its feeling function after it has been freed to its period of activity until after a detecting beat of the lay, it is desirable that the means for withdrawing the feeler frontwardly be caused to dwell in its feeler engaging posi tion until after the feeler has been moved frc-ntwardly on a. detecting beat, thus insuringthat the feeler shall during its period of activity detect the condition of the filling in the shuttle. The present invention therefore contemplates, as herein above stated, a dwell device which will suspend the operative movement of the means for moving the feeler to its frontward inoperative position until after the lay has made a detecting beat or the feeler has been moved frontwardly by engagement with the filling in the shuttle, and in the present instance this functional dwell of the means of withdrawing the feeler is accomplished through the dwell portion '66 of the actuator frontward position, the first action of the actuator 60 as the end 59 of the lever 53 is engaged by the trip portion of the actuator is to cause the detent to move bodily in a rearward direction in the slots 40 of the bearing 38 and also to pivotally move in a clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 4, thereby freeing the feeler from the control of the detent and permitting it to perform its feeling function. As the dwell portion 66 passes under the end 59 of the lever 53 the detent will be moved bodily and pivotally into an intermediate position and there dwell, as indicated in Fig. 3, and as the feeler is moved frontwardly by a working supply of filling on a detecting beat, the projection 44 on the feeler will pass frontwardly of the tooth 43 on the detent, as indicated in Fig. 3, and as the lay goes back the feeler will be held by the detent from following it. This condition is well illustrated in Fig. 3 wherein the working supply of filling 31 on the filling carrier or bobbin 32 has moved the feeler frontwardly to its first frontward position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, thereby causing the projection 44 to move frontwardly of the tooth 43 of the detent, the

parts having sufficient give or yield for this purpose. As the lay goes back, the detent will hold the feeler in the frontward position to which it has been moved by the filling and thereafter as the dwell portion 66 of the actuator passes out of engagement with the end 59 of the lever 53, the detent will be moved bodily in a frontward direction and also pivotally into the position indicated in Fig. 4, to thereby withdraw and hold the feeler in its inoperative position during its period of inactivity, at which time the feeler does not strike the filling, as indicated in Fig. 4. The positive connection of the detent through the bell crank lever described to the rod 51 effects a positive movement of the detent both bodily and pivotally relative to the detent bearings and causes the detent to act reliably in the per formance of detent functions.

Shoulda working supply of filling not be present in the shuttle on a detecting beat during aperiod of activity of the feeler, the latter will not be moved frontwardly sufficiently far to engage the projection 44 with the tooth 43 of the detent, but the feeler will remain in its feeling position and when the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat the feeler will call for the change of filling by movement of the slide 22 and transmitter 14.

It will be noted from the constructiondescribed, that the detent 42 has three movements-one, a bodily movement towards and from the front of the loom, another a pivotal movement, and another a movement bodily towards and away from the feeler, and that when the detent is tripped by the controller to'free the feeler to the performance of its feeling function, it pa-rtalzes of such bodily movement in a rearward direction and also a pivotal movement under the positive action of the bell crank.

that is (claimed is 1.. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a (feeler, a p-iv tal detent inonnted {for movement of its pivotal point towards and from the front of the loom for moving the feeler froi-itw-ardly out of cooperative relation with the filling and holding it {at rest for a period of time and then releasing it to the performance of its feeling function, and means for operating the detent that the feeler may have periods of activity and be moved into a position of :inactiwity at intervals during weaving with the same supplv of filling in the shuttle.

In a feeler mechanism for looms, the icom binatino of a feeler, feeler withdrawing and holding dete-nt pivot-ally mounted on the feeler stand for movement of its pivotal point towards :HDCl from the front of the loom [to withdraw the feeler from cooperative relation with the filling and maintain it at rest, and means to operate the detent to free the fee-lei at intervals that the feeler maa have periods of .ac stivity and ,periods of .inactivitw during weaving with the same supply of filling in the shuttle.

3. In a feeler anechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler, a fee-lei withdrawing and holding detent having a pivotal support on the feeler stand and mounted for movement of its pivotal point towards and Lfrom the front of the loom to withilraw the feeler and hold it in retracted :position, means for operating the detent to free the feeler at intervals to the performance of its feeling function and then withdraw and hold the feeler again in retracted position when :a working supply of filling is in the shuttle on a detecting beat that the feeler ma-y'have periods of activity and periods of inactivity during weaving with the same supply of filling in ,the shuttle.

4.111 a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler, a detent for holdingthe fee-lei in frontward position, a support (on the feeler stand with relation to which the detent has a ,pivotal and bodily movement towards and from the front of the loom to withdraw the fceler and hold it in retracted position, and a controller for operating the detent to :free the feeler at intervals to the performance of its feeling function and then withdraw :it in frontward retracted position that the feeler may have periods of activity and inactivity during weaving with the same supply of filling in the shuttle.

5. A. feeler mechanism, comprising, in combination, a feeler, a .detent for holding esa-9a? the feeler in inoperative position, a support on the feeler stand for -the detent with relation :to which it has a pivotal move ment, .a bodily movement towards and from the front of the loom, and .a movement lowards and from the feeler, and means for operating the detent to free the feeler at: intervals and then more .it .to an inoperative position that the fceler may have periods of activity and periods .of lnaclivit} during weaving.

(3. A feeler mecliianlisi'n. (:irinprisiinq, in combination, .a feeler stand, ,a fecler, a feelcr holding .detent, an inclined pin; and slot, bearing for vthe detent, and means for moving' the .detent in ,a direction towards and from the front \of the loom in said hearing and also pivotall'y with relation thereto .l'o free the feeler at intervals ,cluringr raving with the same supply of tilling' in the shut ile.

T. In a feelcr mechanism for looms, .the combination of a feeler, .a detent for moving the feeler to .and holding- ,ii' in an inoperative position, ,an inclined pivotal support for the .detciiit with reference to which it has pivotal anovement and bodily movement towards and from the front of the loom, and means for operating the detent at intervals to free the feelei' \to the pen formance of its feeling function and .thcn move the feeler again to its inoperative position (luring weaving with the same supply ,of filling in the shuttle.

S. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of .a feeler, a feeler withdrawing and holding .detent, a support for the detent with reference to which it has pivotal movement and bodil; movement vtowards and from the front of the 100m, ,a controller for the -defeat, and ylDOSltiNG connections be- ;tween the detent and controller for imparting positive pivotal and bodily movements to the detent to .free ,the feeler at intervals .and withdraw and hold it in inoperative position thereafter kduring weaving with the same supply of filling in the shuttle.

9. Ina feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of .a ifeeler, a .detent for holding the feeler in .an inoperative position, a bearing for the detent with relation to which it has pivotal movement and bodily movement towards and from the front of the loom, a detent controller for operating the ,detent, and positive connections between the controller and .detent for imparting a rearward and pivotal movement to the detent to free the feeler at intervals during weaving with the same supply of filling in the shuttle.

10. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler, a detent for holding the feeler in :a frontward inactive po engagement with the feeler should it be moved frontwardly. by a working supply of filling on at detecting beat and then further Withdraw the feelen fron-twardly to its inactive position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ALONZO E. RHOADES. 

